How many pools are on Royal Caribbean ships?

Bigger Ways to. Have your splashiest weekend yet — onboard and onshore — with seven different pools you can plunge into, including the Caribbean's largest freshwater pool.



The number of pools on Royal Caribbean ships varies by size, with the massive Icon Class leading the fleet in 2026. The Icon of the Seas and its sister ship Star of the Seas feature seven distinct pools, including the world's first suspended infinity pool at "The Hideaway" and the largest pool at sea, "Royal Bay." In contrast, the popular Oasis Class ships (like Wonder of the Seas) typically offer four to five main pools, alongside numerous whirlpools and the "Splashaway Bay" water parks. Older, smaller ships in the Vision or Radiance Class usually have two main pools (one outdoor and one indoor "Solarium" pool). In 2026, Royal Caribbean has prioritized "water-based neighborhoods," ensuring that even on full-capacity sailings, there is a variety of swimming options ranging from high-energy party pools with DJs to adult-only serene retreats, making "pool hopping" a legitimate daily activity for cruisers.

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Royal Bay? Pool There's always a seat open for you at Royal Bay. This sprawling oasis on Chill Island? is the largest pool at sea, with over 40,000 gallons of water.

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Cruise lines drain their swimming pools at night to discourage guests from trying to enter the pool when it is closed. Draining the swimming pools each night also allows the cruise lines to replace the water with clean water and a drained swimming pool is safer if the weather is rough.

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When do The Swimming Pools Close? On most cruise lines, the swimming pools are open from early morning until the evening. On some cruise lines, you'll find the pools and hot tubs open late into the evening which I particularly enjoy. There's not a lot better than an evening swim beneath the stars!

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Pools are typically small and no deeper than 5 or 6 feet. Diving and jumping is not permitted; you are welcome to swim laps, but each lap will be short, and the pools will likely be crowded at peak hours.

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Private Pools The Amenity: Luxury suites with pools are almost de rigueur on land but a rarity at sea. The duplex Edge Villas on Celebrity's three newest ships (Beyond, Apex, and Edge) come with private, three-foot-deep plunge pools, giving land resorts a rum for their money.

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Following the Independence of the Seas, the Explorer of the Seas and the Mariner of the Seas, the Symphony became the fourth Royal Caribbean ship to be drydocked at the Spanish shipyard in 2023. After the work, 2018-built vessel kicked off a summer program in the Western Mediterranean on April 16.

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Royal Caribbean Oasis Class: Some of the Biggest Ships in the World. Among the largest cruise ships in the world, Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships can carry close to 7,000 passengers each at full capacity. That includes Wonder of the Seas, the largest passenger ship in the world.

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Getting laid on a cruise is not as easy as it may seem. First, you need to make sure that you are in the right place at the right time. Cruise ships usually have designated areas for singles and couples, so be sure to check out those spots first.

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Can you swim at night on Royal Caribbean? Just like the tip before, once the sun goes down, many guests skip the pool completely, but night swims are not only a great time for an uncrowded swim, but they are really a lot of fun too. There will be at least one pool open each evening, and hot tubs too.

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A cruise line will usually close their swimming pools, then a little later on, will drain out the water. A net will usually be placed over the top of the swimming pool at this point.

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Escape to new heights of bragworthy at the beach club inspired Hideaway, only on Icon of the Seas?.

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Can You Sleep on a Cruise Ship Balcony? There are no rules that say that passengers on cruise ships can't sleep on their balconies. That said, cruise lines do generally advise against it. Despite this many people enjoy sleeping on their balconies and you won't have any problem doing so if you want to.

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Generally 9 am till 9 PM or main pools 11 PM The pools are roped off netted and marked as closed.

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Yes. All drinking water is either distilled from seawater or loaded onboard while the ship is in port.

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